Petition Calls on Miss South Africa to Withdraw from Beauty Pageant in Israel

Lalela Mswane, Miss South Africa 2021. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Human rights organization #Africa4Palestine launched a petition on Wednesday calling on South Africans to ask the CEO of Miss South Africa, Stephanie Weil, to withdraw the Miss South Africa organization from the competition, which is due to take place next month in Israel.

According to a statement released by the organization, over 5000 South Africans endorsed the petition in less than 24 hours.

“The outpouring of support for Miss South Africa to not go to Apartheid Israel must not be arrogantly dismissed by the CEO of the entity, Ms Stephanie Weil,” the statement read, adding: 

“By now it is undeniable that these calls are from the vast majority of South Africans – including civil society, human rights groups, influencers, media personalities, trade unions, political parties and others who have all come out calling on Miss SA to withdraw participation”.

“We urge the organization – Miss South Africa – to respect the overwhelming call by South Africans,” the statement concluded.

Last month, after Lalela Mswane was crowned Miss South Africa 2021, Mandla Mandela, the grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela, urged her to boycott the Miss Universe event.

While congratulating Mswane in a press statement, he called on her and on all former Miss South Africa winners to boycott the beauty pageant, in protest of the “occupation and the cruel treatment of Palestinians at the hands of apartheid Israel regime”.

“There is nothing beautiful about occupation, brutality and institutionalized discrimination against the Palestinian people,” Mandela said.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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